Marsha Hart

Marsha Hart is a journalist who holds degrees in Communication and Psychology from East Tennessee State University. She moved to the area after working for several weekly and daily newspapers, including the Sacramento Bee. She has worked as a reporter and editor covering news, sports, real estate, and features. She enjoys a good book, a scenic hike, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

What to do when honey bees swarm

Jun 18, 2024

Have a swarm of honey bees on your property? Don’t spray them with water or insecticide. Call the Pierce County Beekepers Alliance.

Tutors with Tails having a paws-itive impact on literacy

Jun 12, 2024

Special guests have made weekly visits to Harbor Heights Elementary School in Gig Harbor, along with Evergreen and Minter Creek Elementary on the Key Peninsula. These visitors specialize in lying on the floor, eliciting smiles and accepting a snuggle — all while listening to students read. In 2019, Communities in Schools of Peninsula and the

Gig Harbor’s Austin Pavelek living life in the fast lane

Jun 03, 2024

Exhilaration and pride dominated the day as 7-year-old Gig Harbor resident Austin Pavelek crossed the finish line at a speed of between 35 and 40 mph in his Quarter Midget Stanley car in Yakima on May 17. It was his first time winning the Junior 160 Region race.  As he took the checkered flag to

Collar of Hope aims to leave no dog behind

May 29, 2024

Collar of Hope, a nonprofit based in Olalla, finds homes for dogs (and other animals) in need of them for any reason.

Alvestad, Ross, Markovich re-elected to PenLight Board

May 07, 2024

Peninsula Light members have re-elected three board members, who will each serve a three-year term. Incumbents Paul Alvestad, Debra Ross, and Nick Markovich were elected to the board, PenLight announced at its annual meeting on Monday, May 6. Members returned 4,227 of the 32,461 ballots (13.02%) PenLight mailed. The election requires a 10% quorum, said

Sock monkey display kicking it at the Gig Harbor Library

Apr 23, 2024

Inspiration struck George Long in 2015, when he visited an art studio and watched as an artist created a sock monkey. At the time he lived in York, Penn., and was nearing retirement after owning and operating a successful commercial roofing business. In an instant, he had an idea for what he wanted to do,

PenLight board elections draw six candidates for three positions

Mar 26, 2024

Six candidates are vying for three Peninsula Light board of directors positions in held in April and May. Members will receive ballots, with postage-paid envelopes, this week and can vote via mail. PenLight will announce election results at its annual meeting at 5:30 p.m. May 6. The company holds elections each year and sends ballots

Gig Harbor Women’s Co-op offers a helping hand

Feb 06, 2024

Jill O’Block found it difficult to get the help her family needed when they moved to Gig Harbor from Vashon Island in 2015. No family or friends lived nearby, and she sometimes needed help with things like picking up her kids after school or occasionally borrowing a pickup truck. They didn’t have anyone to ask. 

How PenLight, Pierce County responded to last week’s storm damage

Jan 15, 2024

Winds began to blow on Jan. 8, and the howling continued into the night as neighborhoods throughout the Gig Harbor and Key peninsulas began to go dark. Trees fell across roadways and light poles were sheared on Ray Nash Drive in Gig Harbor as well as Lake Holiday on the Key Peninsula, creating a precarious

The mom behind the fast-growing What’s Good Gig Harbor group

Dec 20, 2023

You can use all of the old cliches: Build it and they will come; necessity is the mother of invention; find a need and fill it. All of them are appropriate in the case of Sarah Husby, who moved to Gig Harbor 15 years ago from Seattle. She was looking for a comprehensive activity list